HUGHES GOES LOW, LEADS AFTER FIRST ROUND OF AJGA JUNIOR AT WENATCHEE
Dubreuil edges out Girls Division with one-stroke lead

WENATCHEE, Wash. â€” At the conclusion of the first round of competition in the AJGA Junior at Wenatchee, Charlie Hughes of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, has a commanding four-stroke lead after firing a 7-under-par 65 Wednesday. In the Girls Division, Desiree Dubreuil of Santa Ana, Calif., recorded a 1-over-par 73 to claim a one-stroke lead at the Wenatchee Golf & Country Club.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the AJGA Junior at Wenatchee is a 54-hole stroke-play competition being held at the Wenatchee Golf & Country Club. The tournament field consists of 75 boys and 24 girls, ages 12-18, from 12 states, Canada, South Africa, Taiwan, and New Zealand. The Boys Division is playing the par-72 course at 6,383 yards while the Girls Division is playing it at 5,985 yards.

Hughes' round began with birdies on Nos. 1 and 2, foreshadowing the play that was to come. The 16-year-old recorded eight birdies to one bogey en route to his impressive four-stroke lead. Having worked on his driver and iron play recently, Hughes tackled the narrow, tree-lined fairways with precision. The fast greens rolled Hughes' way, as he only had 24 putts throughout the round.

â€śOver the past couple of days, I've hit a ton of balls and really started driving the ball better,â€ť Hughes said. â€śThe fairways are so narrow here that being able to drive the ball well helps a lot.â€ť

Tomorrow, Hughes hopes to lead the way for the rest of the field by sticking to the same game plan as today.

â€śI'm not going to play defensive, I'm just going out and trying to make birdies,â€ť Hughes said. â€śThe competition is tough here, tougher than other fields of this size I've played, so I'm going to stick to my game.â€ť

In a three-way tie for second are Jonny Baxter of Pleasanton, Calif., Jim Liu of Smithtown, N.Y., and Chien Yao Hung of Sinjhuang City, Taiwan, each with a 3-under-par 69. Rounding out the top five is Sean Ko of West Vancouver, British Columbia, with a 2-under-par 70.

Dubreuil, who has two top ten finishes in AJGA play this year, traded a bogey for a birdie on the front nine to record an even-par 36. On the back nine, she carded two bogeys to one birdie to finish the round in the lead.

â€śI did a good job of getting up and down today,â€ť the 17-year-old said. â€śI wasn't hitting the ball particularly well, but my putting and chipping made all of the difference today.â€ť

One stroke behind Dubreuil is Erynne Lee of Silverdale, Wash., with a 2-over-par 74. Rounding out the top three is Katrina Hegge of Seattle, who carded a 3-over-par 75.

Also of note in the Girls Division was Emily Guthrie of Snohomish, Wash., who recorded a hole-in-one on the 165-yard par-3 No. 14.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.

The largest Association of its kind, the AJGA has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of more than 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and more than 25 foreign countries.

Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989. Rolex Watch USA, which is in its third decade of AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Polo Ralph Lauren became the AJGA's second Premier Partner.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. More than 160 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours and have co mpiled more than 300 wins. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink, Davis Love III, Cristie Kerr, Pat Hurst, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel and Julieta Granada.

The second round of the AJGA Junior at Wenatchee will be held on Thursday, August 21, with tee times running off the No. 1 tee from 7 â€” 11:48 a.m. at the Wenatchee Golf & Country Club. For more information regarding the AJGA Junior at Wenatchee, please contact Tournament Director Tommy Tangtiphaiboontana at (678) 617-2424.

The American Junior Golf Foundation is the primary recipient of all charitable giving to the AJGA and as such administers a variety of programs designed to compliment the AJGA and the members and families who make up our community. Learn more about these important programs and how your contributions to the Foundation secure the AJGA’s financial future for future generations to come.

The Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program provides financial assistance to junior golfers who wish to play in AJGA events. Its goal is to give top-flight golf opportunities to young golfers regardless of financial resources. This program helps to fulfill the AJGA’s mission of developing young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.

Leadership Links

What is Leadership Links?

Leadership Links is a new program whereby the AJGA is able to further its mission to help develop young men and women by teaching charitable giving skills and service-oriented practices at an early age. This program gives juniors all the tools necessary to donate their time, talent and resources to local charities and the AJGA youth development programs. Please click here to learn more about the program and the different opportunities available.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and
development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.